Esterline’s next-gen HaWC brings game-like controllers to UAVs

Unmanned systems are being used for an ever-growing range of applications, including law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, munitions disposal and military operations, as well as environmental monitoring, natural resource surveying, infrastructure management and more.

Esterline’s next-generation HaWC controllers put users in precise control of unmanned systems while keeping the human operator out of harm’s way.

David Tessier, President, Esterline, said: “We're building upon our first-generation product, which sold in thousands in the market. We really listened to our customers and incorporated new features in that product, and we're excited to share it.”

He added: “The product really came from the need to have ruggedised, game-like controllers in our markets, whether it's flying helicopters or ground vehicles. We're proposing a solution to help those [UAV] end users stay out of harm’s way.

“The purpose of our game-like controllers, which are very ruggedised for harsh environments, is to really enable our war fighters to stay out of danger.

“The goal is to save lives and make a difference, whether it's in a helicopter that has a controller to control the suite of sensors, cameras underneath the nose of the helicopter, or UAVs or ground vehicles.”